Summary of Islam Beliefs

2013-02-15

This book summarizes the principles of Islam which you can illustrate for non-Muslims. These principles are explained in a frank straight forward manner. No apologetic approach is used. The book explains what The Quran and The Authentic Sunnah teach about:

1)Allah

2)Messengers of Allah

3)Faith

4)Legislation

5)The concept of Worship

6)Woman

7)Relationship between the Muslim and Allah

8)Relationship between the Muslim and other human beings

May Allah subhanahu wa taala make it of great benefit for anyone who reads it.

(O mankind, there has come to you a good advice from your Lord, and a healing for that which is in your breasts- a guidance and a mercy for the believers. Say: "In the bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy-therein let them rejoice." That is better than what they accumulate).

(Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He. The Ever Living, The One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His footstool extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is The Most High, The Most Great).

(( ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير)) (11الشورى42)

(There is nothing like Him and He is The All-Hearer, The All-Seer)

So, there is nothing like Allah. However, The Quran tells us about The Names and Attributes of Allah subhanahu wa taala. If you count all The Names of Allah in The Quran and in the Ahadeeth of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him you find ninety nine Names, all indicating Perfection and Greatness, and each has its great effect on the human being when he believes in it.

For example, each Surah starts with ((بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم, In The Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. So Allah is The Most Merciful.

(Say: "O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins), do not despair of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is The Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).

So, when the believer knows that Allah is The Most Merciful, he will never despair that Allah will forgive him if the believer turns in repentance to Him.

(Allah has divided mercy in one hundred parts, and He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down one part on the earth, and because of that one single part, His creatures have mercy to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoof away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it).

(O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partners to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it).

When one believes that Allah is The Most Forgiving, he himself becomes a forgiving person. Allah Subhanahu wa taalasaid:

(Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)

One of The Names of Allah in The Quran is The Most Loving. This Name will not encourage one to disobey his Lord, but makes him love his Lord, The Most Loving, and turn unto Him in repentance, as Prophet Shuaib Peace be upon Him said to his people:

((واستغفروا ربكم ثم توبوا إليه إن ربي رحيم ودود)) (90 هود 11).

("And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn unto Him in repentance. Verily, my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving.").

Also, The Quran tells that Allah is الشكور(Most Ready to appreciate good deeds and to recompense):

(( إنه غفور شكور)) (30 فاطر 35)

(Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense). Allah also said:

So, this teaches people to appreciate the good deeds of each other and to be grateful. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

((لا يشكر الله من لا يشكر الناس)) (أبو داود)

(He wont be grateful to Allah that who is not thankful to people).

The Quran describes Allah Subhanahu wa taala as The All-Knowing and The All-Wise

((والله عليم حكيم)) (15 التوبة 9)

(And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise)

So, one knows that Allah subhanahu wa taala did not create the heavens and the earth in vain, but He created them for a purpose, and did not leave his creation in vain, but sent Messengers with guidance. When the believer is oppressed in this worldly life by anyone, he doesnt break down, first because he knows that Allah Subhanahu wa taaladoes every thing for a wisdom, even if we cant recognize it, and second because he knows that there will be a hereafter where Allah, The All-Knowing, All-Wise will take the rights for the oppressed from the oppressor.

One of The Names of Allah mentioned in The Quran is الرزاق, The All-Provider. The Quran says:

)And there is not a moving creature in the earth but its sustenance depends on Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in the uterus or grave). All is in a Clear Book (The Book of Decrees with Allah).

So, when the believer believes in This Name of Allah, he first knows that whatever wealth and prosperity he attains are not from his own capabilities and intellect, but they are the favors of Allah Subhanahu wa taala. He has to put the effort, but it is only The Will of Allah that allows this effort to translate into wealth. Second, the believer will have tranquility of heart and peace of mind even if he loses his job or passes through a financial problem, because he has a full trust that Allah takes care of His creation and will sustain them.

(Say: "In Whose Hand is the sovereignty of everything And He protects, while against Him there is no protection if you know?(i.e. if Allah saves anyone, none can harm him, and if Allah punishes or harms anyone, none can save him). They will say: " (All that belongs) to Allah." Say: "How then are you deceived and turn away from the truth?").

So, what effect does this have on the believer? When the believer believes in These Attributes of Allah, he will not fear anybody or any power other than Allah, and he believes that Allah subhanahu wa taala can save him from every evil. So, when the believer falls under persecution or any kind of threat, he wont go and beg human beings for help, but he turns to his Lord, The Supreme over His slaves, and seeks refuge in Him, and strives to fulfill the duties towards This Great Lord, Who will take care of this hardship. By this, the believer attains a great deal of dignity, tranquility and confidence.

The believer would never try to please people by means that make Allah angry on him. His priority is pleasing Allah, Who will take care of the people. Narrated Aishah that Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu aleihi wa sallamsaid:

(Whoever seeks to please Allah by means that anger people, Allah will be pleased with him and will make people pleased with him, and whoever seeks to please people by mean that anger Allah, Allah will be angry on him and will make people angry on him).

Also, when the believer believes in The Names and Attributes of Allah mentioned in The Quran, words like depression and despair have no longer any place in his vocabulary. He will no longer feel the despair in his heart. Why? because he knows that he can appeal to Allah at any time to save him from the hardship hes facing. Allah subhanahu wa taalasays:

(And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then, I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me).

And what A Lord youre calling on! He is The One Who says to the thing "Be" and it is. As The Quran says:

((إنما أمره إذا أراد شيئا أن يقول له كن فيكون )) (82 يس 36)

(Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be"- and it is!)

So, when one has any hardship in his life, he knows that he has a Lord Who responds to the invocations and Who has the power to do whatever He wants. Therefore, in Islam there is no place at all for words like depression or despair:

When Jacob Peace be upon Him told his sons to go and enquire about Joseph Peace be upon Him , he said, as the Quran mentioned:

( (Abraham) said: "Do you give me glad tidings (of a son) when old age has overtaken me? OF what then is your news?". They (the angels) said: "We give you glad tidings in truth. So be not of the despairing." (Abraham) said: "And who despairs of The Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?").

In fact giving up hope of Allahs Mercy is one of the major sins, as Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

So, believing in The Names and Attributes of Allah makes the believer face life happily, enthusiastically, and open-heartedly. He fears nobody but Allah, and with the fear there is a great love and a great hope in Allahs Mercy. He feels confident because he can, at any time, seek help from The Lord of the universe, and he is never worried about the future because he knows that every thing happening to him is for his good. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

(Amazing the affair of the believer for all of his affairs are good and this is not the case with anyone else except the believer; if something happens to him that makes him feel delighted, he thanks (Allah), thus it is good for him, and if he gets into trouble he endures it patiently, thus it is good for him).

So, believing in The Names and Attributes of Allah Subhanahu wa taalacreates a balance in the heart of the believer; a balance between fear, love, and hope.

رسل الله عليهم الصلاة والسلام

The Messengers of Allah

Allah ordered His Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him to follow the guidance of The Prophets who preceded him:

(And We bestowed upon him (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good-doers. And Zachariya, John, Jesus and Elias, each one of them was of the righteous. And Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot, and each one of them We preferred above the mankind and jinn (of their times) )

(The Messiah said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers).

)And who can be better in religion than he who submits his face (himself) to Allah, while being a good-doer, and follows the religion of Abraham, worshipping none but Allah Alone. And Allah did take Abraham as an intimate friend).

So this was the consistent Message of All Prophets Peace be upon Them, worshipping Allah only, believing in Him as The Lord Who created the universe and Who created mankind, ordaining good and forbidding evil, as The Quran says:

(Say (O Muhammad): "Come. I will recite what your Lord ha prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty"-We provide sustenance for you and for them-"And come not near to shameful sins and illegal sexual intercourse, whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not any soul that Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand. And come not near to the orphans property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight with justice"-We burden not any soul, but that which it can bear-"And whenever you give your word (judge between people or evidence), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfil the Covenant of Allah. This He commands you that you may remember).

One Message...therefore, you see that the ones who used to believe in Moses and Jesus Peace be upon them truly before the advent of Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him are called Muslims in The Quran:

Allah Subhanahu wa taala praised those of the people of the Scripture who listened to The Words of their Lord in The Quran and believed in Them. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (The Torah and The Gospel) before it, they believe in it (The Quran). And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been Muslims (from those who submit themselves to Allah). These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them).

So, one same message. Therefore, The Quran instructs Muslims to believe in All Prophets without differentiation between them.

(Say (O Muslims): " We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and to the offspring of the twelve sons of Jacob, and that which has been given to Moses and Jesus, and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him (Allah) we have submitted in Islam.").

(The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers-and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and unto You is the return").

The Quran does not give the description believer except for him who believes in All Prophets alike; if one believes in all Prophets butdenies Moses, or Jesus, or Muhammad عليهم الصلاة والسلام, then such a person is not a believer according to The Quran. Because they are all the Prophets of Allah, all have the same message, and one doesnt have the right to pick and choose.

(Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one) (Bukhari)

The ProphetsPeace be upon Them were confirming the messages of one another. The basics of the messages were the same in spite of some differences in legislative details. The Quran says:

(And (remember) when Jesus, son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: "This is a plain magic").

Throughout The Quran, The Prophets are described with the best descriptions. You will never find in The Quran or in The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad improper descriptions for Prophets, like claiming that a Prophet drank wine or had illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophets Peace be upon Them are much higher than that according to The Quran. They are the People chosen by Allah Subhanahu wa taala to convey The Divine Message, and to stand as perfect examples of moral intactness, purity, and righteousness.

The Quran does not even tolerate attributing a physical defect to Prophet Moses Peace be upon Him, like when some people at the time of Prophet Moses Peace be upon Him claimed that he keeps covering his body because he had a physical defect. The Quran said:

(Verily, Abraham was a leader having all the good righteous qualities, obedient to Allah, worshipping none but Allah, and he was not one of those who joined partners with Allah. He was thankful for Allahs favors. Allah chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a Straight Path. And We gave him good in this world, and in the hereafter he shall be of the righteous. Then, We have sent the Revelation to you (O Muhammad) saying: Follow the religion of Abraham, worshiping none but Allah)

(And Lot, We gave him Prophethood, right judgment of the affairs, and knowledge, and We saved him from the town (folk) who practiced the evil and filthy deeds. Verily, they were a people of evil, disobedient to Allah. And We admitted him (Lot) to Our Mercy; truly, he was of the righteous).

JosephPeace be upon Him, The Quran mentions how Allah protected him when the wife of the ruler asked him for an illegal relationship:

(When the angels said: " O Marry! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word ["Be!" and he was!] from Him, his name will be Al-Masih Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah. He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous.")

Once, while a Jew was selling something in Medinah, where Prophet Muhammad established the Islamic state, the Jew was offered a price that he was not pleased with. So, he said: "No, by Him Who gave Moses superiority over all human beings!" Hearing him, a Muslim got up and slapped him on the face and said: "You say: By Him Who Gave Moses superiority over all human beings although The Prophet (Muhammad) is present amongst us!"

The Jew went to Prophet Muhammad and said: "O Abu-l-Qasim! I am under the assurance and contract of security, so what right does so-and-so have to slap me?" The Prophet asked the other: "Why have you slapped him on the face?". The Muslim told him the whole story.

Upon that The Prophet became angry, till anger appeared on his face, and said:

"Dont give superiority to any Prophet amongst Allahs Prophets, for when the trumpet will be blown, everyone on the earth and in the heavens will become unconscious except those whom Allah will exempt. The trumpet will be blown for the second time and I will be the first to be resurrected to see Moses holding Allahs Throne. I will not know whether the unconsciousness which Moses received on the Day of Tur has been sufficient for him, or has he got up before me. And I do not say that there is anybody who is better than Yunus bin Matta (Jonah)".

So, The Quran and Prophet Muhammad teach that The Prophets of Allah were the best in all aspects and never committed major sins. The Quran does mention some suboptimal actions that The Prophets took, but you will see that Allah corrected them on the spot, they repented, and Allah accepted their repentance. By that, the credibility of The Prophets in conveying The Divine Message was protected.

For example, Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him was preaching to some of the chiefs of Quraish, the pagan tribe which was in control of Makkah were The Prophet started his Message. While The Prophet was preaching to them, a blind Muslim came to The Prophet and asked him to teach him more about Islam. So, Prophet Muhammad did not respond to the man and went on in preaching to the pagan chiefs. The blind Muslim repeated the request several times, interrupting the dialogue between The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him and the pagan chiefs. So, the Prophet frowned and turned away from the blind man. To Allah Subhanahu wa taala, this wasnt an sound act. So, He revealed the following verses blaming Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him:

(He frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man. And how can you know that he might become pure? Or might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him? As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient, to him you attend. What does it matter to you if he will not become pure. But as to him who came to you running, and is afraid (of Allah and his punishment), of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another. Nay, (do not do like this); indeed it (This Quran) is an admonition. So, whoever wills, let him pay attention to it).

So, Allah Subhanahu wa taala taught His Messenger that a blind man who is sincere about knowing the truth and following it is far more important than a group of chiefs who dont want to pay attention to The Message of Islam.

So, yes, Prophets were the best of mankind, but still, they were human beings who can make suboptimal judgments and be corrected by Allah. So, You see that sometimes The Quran supported the opinion of one of a Companions of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him over the opinion of Prophet Muhammad himself. For example, when Prophet Muhammad immigrated to the city of Madinah and established the Islamic state over there, one of the pagans of Madinah, by the name of Abdullah ibn Ubay was jealous of Prophet Muhammad. So, he showed as if he accepted Islam and tried to attack the status of Prophet Muhammad undercover. So, he led a group of hypocrites who tried day and night to spread doubts and tribulations against Prophet Muhammad and his followers. These attempts were, however, doomed to failure. Then this man died.

So, Allah subhanahu wa taala revealed Verses that supported the understanding of Omar over the understanding of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him. Omar understood from that ((استغفر لهم أو لا تستغفر لهم))meant that The Prophet should not ask for the forgiveness of the hypocrites, neither should he offer funeral prayer on them. The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him thought that This Verse gives him the choice of whether or not to ask for the forgiveness of the hypocrites and to pray funeral prayer on them. So, The Quran supported the understanding of Omar. So The Prophets Peace be upon Them were human beings and they did have some suboptimal decisions, but The Revelation was there to correct Them and guide Them.

All Prophets recognized the fact that they were human beings. Prophet Noah said to his people, as The Quran quoted him:

(Those whom they call upon (like Jesus, Ezra, and angels) desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest; and they hope for His Mercy and fear His torment. Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!).

)O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto mankind: Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah? He (Jesus) will say: "Glorified are You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are The All-Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen). Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were The Watcher over them; and You are A Witness to all things. If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You are The All-Mighty, The All-Wise).

)This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise)-they shall abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great success).

Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him recognized the fact that he was a human being. The Quran says:

(Say (O Muhammad): " I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a Warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe).

(Say ( O Muhammad): " I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God. So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord).

And you see that Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

The sun eclipsed in the life-time of Allahs Messenger on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. So the people said that the sun had eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. Allahs Messenger said: (The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of some-one. When you see the eclipse, pray and invoke Allah).

(Not for you (O Muhammad, but for Allah) is the decision, whether He turns in mercy to them (pardon them) or punishes them; verily, they are wrongdoers).

So, this was The Message of All Prophets عليهم الصلاة والسلام; to direct the heart to One God, to love and fear Him, to call upon Him and Him only for help in all matters...as Prophet Muhammad summarized it when he was teaching his young cousin AbdAllah Bin Abbas:

On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, who said : One day I was behind the prophet and he said to me:

"O boy, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would not benefit you except with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with something that Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

الإيمان

Faith

Also, The Quran makes it clear that faith is not something that one should inherit from his fathers without discrimination:

(And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad) to any town but the luxurious among them said: " We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed wallow their footsteps". (The warner) said: "Even if I bring you better guidance than that which you found your fathers following?" They said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you have been sent." So We took revenge on them, then see what was the end of those who denied.

Also, The Quran makes it clear that faith should not be based on guesses and conjecture.

)He brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living. And He revives the earth after its death. And thus shall you be brought out (resurrected). And among His Signs is this that He created you from dust, and then -behold, you are human beings scattered! And among His Signs is this that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find rest in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. In that are indeed signs for a people who reflect. And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. In that are indeed signs for men of knowledge. And among His Signs is your sleep by night and by day, and your seeking of His bounty. In that are indeed signs for a people who listen. And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, for fear and for hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. In that are indeed signs for a people who understand. And among His Signs is that the heavens and the earth stand by His Command. Then afterwards when He will call you by a single call, behold, you will come out from the earth (i.e. from your graves for reckoning and recompense).

Then The Quran makes the point that it is Allah subhanahu wa taala only Who is Worth of worship:

(Allah is He Who created you, then sustained you, then will cause you do die, then (again) He will give you life. Is there any of your (so called) partners (of Allah) that do anything of that? Glorified and Exalted is He above what they associate (with Him).

(And this Quran is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah, but it is a confirmation of (the Revelation) which was before it, and a full explanation of that which is decreed for mankind-wherein there is no doubt-from The Lord of the Worlds. Or do they say: He (Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him) has forged it? Say: "Then bring a surah (chapter) like unto it, and call (for help) on all you can besides Allah, if you are truthful. Nay, but they denied the knowledge whereof they could not comprehend and, and whereof the interpretation (in events) has not yet come unto them. Thus those before them did deny. Then say what was the consequence of the wrongdoers! ).

So, The Quran warns against repeating on the tongue everything that the ear hears from the masses of people, without passing it through the brain. "Muhammad forged it"! Then why dont they forget something like it? A challenge that has been there for generations and generations, yet nobody could come with something that equates one Chapter of The Quran. But nay! They denied The Message of Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him without even putting a sincere effort to know what his Message was.

The Quran encourages that one takes himself away from the indoctrinating effect of the mass or the main stream and thinks calmly about the Message of Islam:

(Say (to them O Muhammad): "I exhort you to one (thing) only, that you stand up for Allahs sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion (Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him). He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment").

Is the belief alone enough according to The Quran? Is it enough that one believes in One God and in All The Messengers of God and then it doesnt matter what he does?

To answer this question, it is important to notice that every time belief is mentioned in The Quran, it is followed by righteous deeds. Every time Allah mentions the believers, He Subhanahu wa taala says:

(( الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات))

(Those who believe and do righteous deeds).

So, The Quran doesnt tell you that you if you believe in the oneness of God and in All His Prophets then you will be saved no matter what you do. Allah Subhanahu wa taalasays:

It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor the desires of the people of The Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah. And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a (true) believer, such will enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of the dint in a date stone, will be done to them).

(Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their present life and in after their death? Worst is the judgment that they make).

So, Belief alone is not enough. Similarly, righteous deeds are not enough until one believes in the oneness of God and in All of His Prophets and in All of His Books.

(The day that some of the Signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he did not believe for, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his Faith).

التشريع

Legislation

a) The bottom line is to know that the soundness of Islamic legislation is not based on fitting the desires of mankind, but simply on the fact that it is from Allah Subhanahu wa taala.

When anyone wants to discuss the Islamic legislation, the correct way is not to discuss the pros and cons of it from a human point of view, but to go one step back and ask the question: are these rules truly from Allah? Is The Quran The Word of Allah? If yes, then the true believers wont allow themselves to judge the fairness of the rules of Allah, because they know that attributing any injustice to these rules is indeed attributing injustice to Allah Subhanahu wa taala himself. Glorified be Allah above injustice.

There is a story that is mentioned in all of the three books; The Quran, the Taura, and the Bible. This is the story of Abraham Peace be upon Him when he was ordered to slaughter his son in sacrifice for Allah. Now can you tell me what logic there is behind slaughtering ones son? Yet, we all respect Abraham and praise him for his intention to slaughter his son. Why? because this was an order from Allah Subhanahu wa taala, and AbrahamPeace be upon Himsubmitted to The Will of Allah. He did not question The Wisdom of Allah and did not try to judge the soundness of Allahs order. The word Islam means submission. Allah Subhanahu wa taalawants the Muslims to submit to Him unconditionally. If we accept the orders of Allah only when they fit our desires or our logic then we are not worshipping Allah, but we are worshipping our desires or our logic. Muslims should trust The Wisdom of Allah and believe that He has more Mercy on us than we have on ourselves. When we believe so, we will accept all the orders of Allah whole-heartedly even if we could not see the wisdom and mercy behind some of these orders, because we have enough trust that Allah is All-Wise, and we have enough belief that Allah is Most Merciful. This is the kind of unconditional submission that The Quran wants people to have.

(And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know).

This is the baseline; Allah is The All-Knower and we, human beings, do not know where our good is. So, we humble ourselves to The All-Knower and accept His Orders to control our life.

When people reject the legislation of Allah and start putting their own rules, it is as if they doubt the Wisdom of Allah, or think that they have more mercy than He has, which is an inappropriate thing to attribute to Allah. Allah says:

(( ألا يعلم من خلق وهو اللطيف الخبير)) (14 الملك 67)

(Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous, The All-Aware).

How can the human being dare to put the regulations of Allah سبحاه وتعالىaside and put legislate his own rules, thinking that his rules are better than Allahs? Allah said:

(( أولم ير الإنسان أنا خلقناه من نطفة فإذا هو خصيم مبين)) (77 يس 36).

(Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah(mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge). Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open opponent).

Why do people apply other than the rules of Allah?

1) They do not have a source that tells them what Allah wants them to do.

2) They do have such a reference, but they are not sure that it is really from Allah.

3) They do have such a reference, and they do believe it is from Allah, but they think that their man-made rules are better than Allahs rules.

As for Muslims:

1) The referendum is there, in The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and it is so much detailed. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(( ما فرطنا في الكتاب من شيء)) (38 الأنعام 6)

(We have neglected nothing in The Book (The Quran).

2) The true Muslims have no doubt about the referendum. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and had no doubt afterwards, and they strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful).

3) The true Muslims believe that no rule can be better than Allahs rules.

Allah Subhanahu wa taala says:

(( ومن أحسن من الله حكما لقوم يوقنون)) (50 المائدة 5)

(And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have firm faith).

So, thats the point. If one has a firm faith then he will realize that the rules of Allah Subhanahu wa taala are the best.

The Quran describes a group of hypocrites who were living at the time of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him and showing falsely that they were Muslims:

(And when they are called to Allah (i.e. His Words, The Quran) and His Messenger, to judge between them, lo! a party of them refuses and turns away. But if the right is on their side, they come to him willingly with submission. Is there a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt, or fear lest Allah and His Messenger should wrong them in judgment. Nay, it is they themselves who are the wrongdoers. The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allah (His Words, The Quran) and His Messenger, to judge between them is that they say: "We hear and we obey." And such are the successful. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, fears Allah, and keeps his duty (to Him), such are the successful).

The Quran is very clear; if the Muslim does not have a doubt in his heart about the soundness of his religion, and if he knows that Allah and His Messenger would not wrong him in judgment, then why would he refuse to accept the regulations of Allah Subhanahu wa taala ?

So, the true believers should be clear with themselves. If they do love Allah then they wont question His Justice, Wisdom, and Mercy. And if they do not question His Justice, Wisdom, and Mercy, then they wont put aside His rules and apply their own man-made rules.

One may think that: No, it is not that they question The Wisdom and Mercy of Allah, but they apply their own rules because it fits their desires more. Well, if the true believers really love Allah, then they will forsake their own desires for the Sake of Allah; they will love whatever their Beloved Lord loves, and they hate whatever their Beloved Lord hates. So, in Islam, there is the logical submission and the emotional submission to Allah Subhanahu wa taala.

Obedience to legislation is very crucial in The Quran, since it is the sign of belief. The Quran even considers obedience to anybody elses legislation as worshipping this legislator. In one occasion Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him was reading this Verse of The Quran which talks about Jews and Christians:

(They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah, and they also took as their Lord Messiah, son of Mary, while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded to worship none but One God. There is no god but Him. Glorified is He from having the partners they associate (with Him) ).

Submission in love to Allah Subhanahu wa taalameans that we should care about the rights of Allah more than we care about the rights of ourselves. All man-made rules care solely about the rights of human beings. Therefore, many people find it necessary to punish somebody who committed sexual assault for example. Why? because he offended the right of a human being. However, when two persons commit fornication, then people say: "Well, it is personal freedom", although they know that fornication offends the right of Allah Subhanahu wa taala. Is this a sincere submission? Is this a true love? Aishah, the wife of The Prophet, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

(O the nation of Muhammad, nobody has more sense of jealous than Allah when He sees His slave, man or woman, committing illegal sexual intercourse. O the nation of Muhammad, if you know what I know, you would have laughed only little and cried much).

So, Muslims should care about the right of Allah more than they care about their own rights. This is a lesson to be learnt from Prophet Muhammad. Aishah said about The Prophet:

(Are you surprised at Sads jealousy of his honor? By Allah, I am more jealous of my honor than he, and Allah is more jealous than I. Because of His jealousy Allah has prohibited abomination, both open and secret. And no person is more jealous of his honor than Allah, and no person is more fond of accepting an excuse than Allah, on account of which He has sent messengers, announcers of glad tidings and warners; and no one is more fond of praise than Allah, on account of which Allah has promised Paradise).

Therefore, the Muslim society should apply the Islamic legislation even if it restricts personal freedom, because the ultimate aim is to maintain the right of Allah Subhanahu wa taala. When the society truly loves Allah, then it is willing to give up every thing to please Their Beloved Lord Subhanahu wa taala. This is the bottom-line. This is the answer to any question bout the soundness and validity of Islamic legislation.

However, does this mean that the rights of Allah conflicts with the interest and the benefit of human beings? Definitely not. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

( Say (O Muhammad): "Who has forbidden the adornment given by Allah, which He has brought forth for His slaves, and the good things of His providing?" Say: "They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection". Thus We detail the revelations for people who have knowledge. Say: "My Lord forbids only indecencies whether committed openly or secretly, and sins and wrongful oppression, and that you associate partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge").

So, Allah did not forbid the goods of this life, He only forbade the indecencies and evils.

In fact The Message of Prophet Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلامwas a continuation of The Message of Jesus عليه الصلاة والسلام

( I afflict with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraces all things. That Mercy I shall ordain for those who are the pious and give Zakat; and those who believe in Our Revelations. Those who follow The Messenger, The Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they find written about in the Torah and the Gospel with them,-he commands them for that which is right and forbids them from that which is wrong; he makes lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them the foul; he relieves them from their heavy burdens, and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad), honor him, help him and follow the light (The Quran) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful. Say (O Muhammad): " O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as The Messenger of Allah- to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no God except Him. It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, The Prophet who can neither read nor write (Muhammad), who believes in Allah and His Words, and follow him that you may be guided ).

You see that The Quran assures time and again that Allah Subhanahu wa taala does not ordain on people except what is in their capacity:

((لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعها)) (286 البقرة 2).

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope).

Also, The Islamic legislation takes into consideration the exceptional situations. After detailing the kinds of meat which Muslims are not allowed to eat, The Quran says:

(Allah wishes to make clear (what is lawful and what is unlawful) to you, and to show you the guidance that He showed to those before you, and to accept your repentance, and Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise. Allah wishes to accept your repentance; but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path). Allah wishes to make the burden light for you; and the human being was created weak).

So Allah Subhanahu wa taalaknows that the human being was created weak, especially towards sexual needs. So, Allah Subhanahu wa taala, The Most Merciful, likes the life of His creation to go easily and smoothly. So, He put the regulations that ensure the satisfaction of human needs by means like marriage, and prevent the evil of harassment, assault, fornication, adultery, anxiety, and depression. Yes, these regulations seem to put some restrictions, as with the dressing code that Islam ordains for women and for men; these regulations can cause some pain, as with wiping those who commit fornication or stoning to death those who commit adultery. But The Most Merciful put these regulations to protect the lives, dignities, and stability of His creation.

When people think that they are more merciful than Allah Subhanahu wa taala and put their own regulations which they think are more tolerant, then this is the result; crime, increasing executions, assault, raping, kidnapping, anxiety, and you name it. Why is that? The answer is in the story of Adam and Satan that The Quran tells:

( "Get down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you together, some of you are an enemy to some others. Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance he shall neither go astray nor shall be unhappy. But whosoever turns away from My Reminder, verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection).

So, thats the deal; the father of mankind was turned out of Paradise due to his disobedience. So, if mankind follows The Guidance of Allah, they will live the paradise of this worldly life and will go back to the Paradise of the hereafter. If they dont then they will stay out of the Paradise.

So, again, the purpose of Islamic legislation is not to cause any hardship, but to purify the believers and perfect The Favor of their Lord. Allah Subhanahu wa taalasays:

(Allah wishes only to remove uncleanness far from you, O members of the family (of The Prophet), and to purify you with a thorough purification).

Allah also said:

(( يريد الله بكم اليسر ولا يريد بكم العسر)) (185 البقرة 2).

(Allah desires for you ease and He does not desire hardship for you).

Allah also says:

(( والله رؤوف بالعباد )) (30 آل عمران 3).

(And Allah is full of pity for (His) slaves).

And again, Allah has more mercy to the believers than they have to their ownselves. Allah says:

(( ولا تقتلوا أنفسكم إن الله كان بكم رحيما ))

(And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you).

So, you see that the Companions of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him, men and women, who understood what submission to Allah means, and who had a great trust in Allahs Wisdom, Knowledge, and Mercy; you see that they were asking time and again about the Ruling of Allah in the fine details of their life. They wanted to know how Allah Subhanahu wa taala wanted them to act. They didnt see the Regulations of their Beloved Lord as chains which restrict their freedom. Rather, they perceived these Regulations as milestones in their way to a meaningful life in this world, and as milestones to the Paradise of the hereafter. They were concerned to know: is Allah pleased with what we do? They were asking so eagerly until Allah Subhanahu wa taala himself told them to stop asking. Allah said:

(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while The Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allah has forgiven that, and Allah is Forgiving, Most Forbearing).

Having all of that in mind, it should be easy to appreciate why, in a Muslim state, the penalty of murder is execution, why the penalty of fornication is lashing, why the penalty of adultery is stoning to death, and so on. First , and most importantly, because these are the regulations of The Owner of this universe, of Allah, as mentioned in The Quran and in The Teachings of His Messenger Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him. Second, because these penalties provide protection for the society. Allah Subhanahu wa taalasays:

(( ولكم في القصاص حياة يا أولي الألباب لعلكم تتقون ))

(And there is life for you in law of equality in punishment, O men of understanding, that you may ward off (evil) ).

There is a life for the society in applying the Regulations of Allah Subhanahu wa taala in a strict and harsh way, especially when you see that the communities which criticize these regulations caused more damage to their own selves by applying man-made rules: hundreds of people executed with electric shocks and lethal injections, uncountable numbers of woman honors abused and assaulted, anxiety and depression and, worst, the rights of The Creator of this universe being transgressed every moment. Yet, the bad face of this fact is not being appreciated because the executions take place inside the jail and assaults against honor and transgression over The Rights of our Lord take place in closed rooms.

Finally, it is noteworthy that penalties in Islam have a great element of mercy even to the person who is being penalized himself. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

(Swear allegiance to me that you will not associate anything with Allah, that you will not commit adultery, that you will not steal, that you will not take any life which is forbidden by Allah to take but with (legal) justification; and whoever among you fulfils it, his reward is with Allah and he who commits any such thing and is punished for it, that will be all atonement for it (that is his expiation for that sin). And if anyone commits anything and Allah conceals it, his matter rests with Allah. He may forgive him if He wills, and He may punish him if He wills).

Ma’iz bin Malik came to Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Himand said to him: Messenger of Allah, purify me. Whereupon Allahs Messenger said: (Woe be upon you! Go back, ask forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance). He went back not far, then came and said: Allahs Messenger, purify me. whereupon Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: (Woe be upon you! go back and ask forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance). He went back not far, then he came and said: Allahs Messenger, purify me. Allahs Messenger said as he had said before. When it was the fourth time, Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: (From what am I to purify you?) He said: From adultery. Allahs Messenger asked if he had been mad. He was informed that he was not mad. He said: Has he drunk wine? A person stood up and smelt his breath but noticed no smell of wine. Thereupon Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: (Have you committed adultery?) He said: Yes. Allahs Messenger made pronouncement about him and he was stoned to death. The people had been (divided) into two groups about him (Maiz). One of them said: He has been undone for his sins had encompassed him, whereas another said: There is no repentance more excellent than the repentance of Maiz, for he came to Allahs Messenger and placing his hand in his (in the Holy Prophets) hand said: Kill me with stones. (This controversy about Maiz) remained for two or three days. Then came Allahs Messenger to them (his Companions) as they were sitting. He greeted them with salutation and then sat down and said: Ask forgiveness for Maiz b. Malik. They said: May Allah forgive Maiz b. Malik. Thereupon Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: He (Maiz) has made such a repentance that if that were to be divided among a people, it would have been enough for all of them.

Then a woman of Ghamid, came to him and said: Messenger of of Allah, purify me, whereupon he said: (Woe be upon you! go back and beg forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance). She said: I find that you intend to send me back as you sent back Maiz bin Malik. The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: What has happened to you? She said that she had become pregnant as a result of adultery. The Prophet said: (Is it you (who has done that)?) She said: Yes. The Prophet said to her: (You will not be punished) until you deliver what is there in your womb. One of the Ansar became responsible for her until she was delivered (of the child). He (that Ansari) came to Allahs Messenger Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him and said the woman of Ghamid has given birth to a child. The Prophet said: In that case we shall not stone her and so leave her infant with none to suckle him. One of the Ansar got up and said: Allahs Messenger, let the responsibility of his suckling be upon me. She was then stoned to death (Muslim).

The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him then prayed over her. Thereupon Omar ( one of The Prophets Companions) said to him: Allahs Messenger, you offer prayer for her, whereas she had committed adultery! Thereupon The Prophet said: (She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than this that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic?) (Muslim).

So, there is a mercy even for the person whos being penalized because hes being purified before he or she stands up in front of their Lord on the Day of judgment. The key here is whether youre talking to someone who believes in the Hereafter or one who denies it. If youre talking to someone who believes in the Hereafter then its very easy for him to see how the pain of few minutes is merciful, because it prevents a much worse pain in the hill fire. If the one who youre talking to does not believe in the Hereafter then he will not appreciate this element of mercy. In all other systems based on man-made regulations, the criminal is killed not to purify him, but to delete him from the society; to get rid off him.

Finally, I just want to remind that the Muslim society is a society that is based on obedience to Allah, on giving the Rights of Allah the highest priority, and on giving up peoples desire in order to please The Beloved Lord Subhanahu wa taala. It is a society based on a clear definition of love to The Creator, not on claims of love contradicted by actions. It is a society which admits that The Creator of this universe, He and only He has the Right to put rules and regulations for His creatures. It is a society based totally on Faith. This was a concept that all Muslims at the time of Prophet Muhammad understood, men and women, young and old, as exemplified by this great narration:

Umaimah bint Ruqaiqah, a Muslim woman narrated that she, along with other Muslim women, came to The Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him to swear allegiance to him on Islam. The Muslim women said: O Messenger of Allah, we swear allegiance to you that we will not associate anything with Allah, will not steal, will not commit adultery, will not kill our children, will not bring calumny upon one another, and will not disobey you in any good that you ordain. So, The Messenger of Allah said: (You do so as far as you can).

So, see the response of the faithful women. They said: Allah and His Messenger are more merciful to us than we are to ourselves.

المرأة

Woman in Islam

It is interesting to talk about the status of the woman in The Quran. This because the great change that Islam introduced in the status of women indicates the divinity of The Message of Islam. There was no clue in Arabia specifically, and in the world in general... there was no clue that predicted this great change in the status of woman within few years of the establishment of Islam... if it were not for the divinity of This Message. So lets go step by step to see how Islam built the status of woman and lifted the woman to her proper position.

1) Islam gave the woman the right to live:

In the pre-Islamic society of Arabia, many female newborns had to face one of two fates: either to be buried alive, or to live with dishonor.

The Arabs before Islam didnt recognize the female as a full human being. The Father would wait for the birth of the newborn as the student waits for the result of his test; pass or fail...the pass being the boy and the fail being the girl! If it is a boy, then a great joy and happiness; If it is a girl, then the father would have the enough cruelty to bury this girl alive. A more merciful option, however, would be to keep the girl alive...but even in this case, she would be treated as a burden...so, she should go outside and take care of the cattle and sheep of her father to earn her living...or else shes not worth of living.

)And when the news of (the birth of ) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief. He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed, (asking himself); shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her beneath the dust?)

The Quran came to abolish this habit of ignorance. Allah Subhanahu wa taalatold that these girls who were buried alive for no sin they committed will be asked on the Day of Judgment why they were buried, a question to expose the crime of their ruthless fathers:

(( وإذا الموءودة سئلت (8) بأي ذنب قتلت (9) ))

( And when the female (infant) buried alive is questioned: for what sin was she killed?)

Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

(( إن الله حرم عليكم عقوق الأمهات ووأد البنات ومنع وهات)) (البخاري).

(Allah has forbidden for you: to be undutiful to your mothers, to bury your daughters alive, not to pay the rights of the others, and to beg of men (i.e. begging) ) (Bukhari).

Not only is she allowed to live, but her birth is now celebrated. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him recommended that when one is blessed with either a male or a female newborn, he should do something called Aqeqah, where he sacrifices animals for the sake of Allah because He blessed him with this newborn, then he invites people and they eat from the meat of their sacrifice and share the joy of the advent of this newborn. Once a while, it happens in The Mosque where I pray, that someone stands up after the prayer and invites people to join him for Aqeqah. You ask him: Why? he says: "I was blessed with a girl". I set there and eat and look at people who are eating and talking happily and congratulating the father, and I think: What a tremendous change! Islam changed people who buried their daughters into people who celebrate the birth of their daughters!

Moreover, compared with the dishonor and cruelty that a female newborn used to suffer in the pre-Islamic society, Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Himgave the humanity great lessons in treating ones daughter with love and dignity.

I never saw anyone more like the Messenger of Allah in respect of pleasant appearance, way of behavior, and pleasant disposition than Fatimah, may Allah honor her face. When she came to visit him (The Prophet) he would get up to (welcome) her, take her by the hand, kiss her and make her sit where he was sitting; and when he went to visit her, she would get up to (welcome) him, take him by the hand, kiss him, and make him sit where she was sitting.

You see that Islam encouraged the good treatment of daughters by indicating that this good treatment is a way for Paradise. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

(Whoever has three daughters and he gives them shelter, treats them with mercy, and takes care of them, Paradise is made obligatory for him definitely).

2) Before Islam, when the husband of the woman dies, his closest male relative, like his brother or cousin would come and put his garment on the woman, as a signal that he inherited this woman. So, he would either marry her, or force her to marry whomever he wants, or keep her in her house without allowing her to go out until she dies and he then takes all her possessions. So, basically, when someone died they would deal with his wife as a part of the heritage.

AllahSubhanahu wa taalaforbade this oppressive treatment of the women:

( There is a share for men from what is left by parents and those nearly related and there is a share for women from what is left by parents and those nearly related, whether the property be small or large, a legal share).

For the Arab society, this was a tremendous change. Tabari narrated a story that was the reason for the revelation of This Verse, that when the husband of a woman called Ummu Kahha passed away, his male relative inherited all of the property of the husband. So, the woman came to Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Himand said: O Messenger of Allah, my husband passed away and left me with his daughter, so we were not allowed to inherit. So, her husbands relative said: O Messenger of Allah, she can neither ride a horse, nor ca she help the poor or harm the enemy. One needs to earn money to spend on her and she cant earn money.

So, this was the logic of men; the one who deserves to inherit is the one who can ride the horse, fight, and make money. There didnt see any reason why a woman who doesnt do any of these should inherit.

So, Allah Subhanahu wa taala revealed This Verse to revolutionize the way of looking at thinks:

(There is a share for men from what is left by parents and those nearly related and there is a share for women from what is left by parents and those nearly related)

Allah Subhanahu wa taala taught Muslims that the criteria for evaluating people is not their capability of fighting and making money. Allah taught Muslims that woman doesnt need to earn her status by doing things inconsistent with her nature, but her honored status is given to her by Allah, regardless her physical capabilities.

(And those who accuse chaste women, and do not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes, and never (afterwards) accept their testimony. They indeed are the disobedient to Allah. Except those who repent thereafter and make amends; (for such) verily, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful).

So, in Islam, the dignity of woman is not something to miss up with. Dignity and honor are very valuable things for woman, and The Quran provided the due protection for it. Not only does Allah warn those who touch the dignity of the woman by the punishment in this world, but He also warns them by a severe punishment in the Hereafter. Allah says:

)Verily, those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are of the believers, (those who accuse such women) are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment- On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their legs will bear witness against them as to what they used to do. On that Day Allah will pay them their just due, and they will know that Allah, He is The Manifest Truth).

One means by which Islam protected the honor of woman is prescribing for her a certain dressing code, as it prescribed a dressing code for men. The Quran says:

( O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their veils all over their bodies. That will be better that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful).

By this veil that Allah prescribed for the women who He created, the women achieve many things:

First and most, they show obedience to The Creator, Who has the Right to dictate on His creatures, men and women, the way they live and the way they dress. By having this obedience, they qualify for this promise of Allah:

(Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer, verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do).

Second, the believing woman manifests love to her Beloved Lord and confidence in His Wisdom and Mercy when she follows whatever He prescribes to her. She does so happily and contentedly without questioning His legislation. She knows that this is the sign of true belief since Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

)O you who believe, answer Allah ( and obeying Him) and The Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life).

When the Muslim woman follows this Guidance of Her Lord, she becomes a source of guidance for others in the society. Just looking at her fills ones heart with a sense of decency, piety, and obedience to The Most Merciful Subhanahu wa taala.

Fourth, when the believing woman follows the dressing code provided by her Merciful Lord, she protects herself from many kinds of evil, because she qualifies for the guarantee given by her Lord:

((فإما يأتينكم مني هدى فمن تبع هداي فلا يضل ولا يشقى)) (123 طه 20).

(Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance he shall neither go astray nor shall be unhappy).

She will not go astray and she shall not be unhappy, because now shes protected from social diseases driven by physical lust; shes protected from harassment, rape, kidnapping; Shes protected from the psychological problems resulting from failure of relationships with men who were driven by her physical beauty, not by any spiritual value; Shes no longer worried about fading away of her importance once the gray hair appears and the skin starts to wrinkle, because her value has never been dependent on the physical beauty, but on her spiritual beauty and, if anything, this spiritual beauty increases the longer she lives. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

The Prophet said, "A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. So you should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a losers.

Fifth, it is important to remember that in the Muslim society, the members of the society should cooperate among themselves to achieve the ultimate purpose of worshiping Allah and pleasing Him. It is a society of devotion. The Muslim woman is nothing but a part of this society, having the same devotion and striving to achieve the same purpose. Therefore, the believing woman would not use her physical beauty to distract her brothers in faith from the mission that they are committed to, because Allah said:

(O you who believe, do not betray Allah and The Messenger, nor betray knowingly the things entrusted to you).

The believing woman knows that her beauty is a favor from her Merciful Lord. So, she would not use the His favor to disobey Him and to distract people from devotion to Him, because she knows that Allah said:

)Have you not seen those who gave the grace of Allah in exchange for thanklessness and led their people down to the Abode of Loss?).

Sixth, when the believing woman abides by this dressing code, she raises herself to the position where Her Lord likes her to be, to the level of serving The Lord of Honor Subhanahu wa taala. She protects herself from falling into the hands of people who would use her honorable body in things that it was not created for. A believing woman cant sell her body for advertisement and at the same time be an honorable servant of her Creator. Allah Subhanahu wa taala is jealous on the honor of believing women that it be abused.

When the believing woman appreciates all of that, she devotes her physical attractiveness to her husband, as he also does. With the rest of the believing society, the woman has the spiritual beauty that builds unconditional love between her and her brothers and sisters in Faith, a decent, high leveled love that is independent of the physical beauty, and she cooperates with her brothers and sisters in Faith to reach together to the ultimate purpose of pleasing The Merciful Lord and dwelling in His Paradise.

4) The greatest honor that Islam gave to woman is that Allah Subhanahu wa taala wants her to worship him and promised her a great reward if she does so. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

)Verily, the Muslims men and women, the believers men and women, the men and women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful, the men and women who are patient, the men and women who are humble, the man and women who give alms, the men and women who observe fasting, the men and women who guard their chastity and the men and women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward).

So, the women are not just an aesthetic object to fulfill the desires of the man, but she has been created to be a worshipper of Allah Subhanahu wa taala. Every thing that is obligatory on men is also obligatory on women. Men have to pray five times a day, and women have to pray five times a day. Men have to make pilgrimage to Makkah, and women have to make pilgrimage to Makkah, and so on. So, their Lord cares about them, and He prescribes for them means to get them closer to Him.

5) Islam gave woman dignity without asking her to acquire dignity by doing things that contradict her nature.

(In the time of ignorance (before Islam), we were considering the women nothing. But after the advent of Islam, and after Allah made mentioning of them, we realized that they have rights upon us).

So, this was the reason why women were respected in Islam; Not because they were able to make more money, not because they left their homes and started doing works that do not fit their physical and psychological composition...But because Allah mentioned them in The Quran and The Prophet mentioned them and clarified what rights they have upon men.

How did Allah Subhanahu wa taala mention women in The Quran? When Allah wanted to set forth an example for the believers, He chose two women:

(And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: "My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his work, and save me from the people who are wrongdoers. And Mary, the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity. So, We breathed into her through Our Ruh (Gabriel), and she testified to the truth of The Words of her Lord and of His Scriptures, and she was of the devoutly obedient).

Before Islam, if the female newborn was allowed to live, she was looked at as a burden and would even be required to do tough work like taking care of sheep so that she can make for some of her living. The crucial role of woman of providing tranquility for her husband and of raising up righteous productive children who would lead the society to success.. this role wasnt appreciated in a society void of high-leveled spiritual standards like the pre-Islamic society. So, In such a society, woman had to do physical work to be "productive" or else shes a burden.

Islam revolutionized this concept. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

((الرجال قوامون على النساء)) (34 النساء 4).

(Men are protectors and maintainers of women).

So, from now on, the woman doesnt need to do work that doesnt fit her physical and psychological composition to be worth of living. Shes worth of living merely because Allah gave her the right to live as a decent human being. Moreover, the man can no longer look at her as a burden. He has to spend on her not as a favor of him but because Allah in charged the man with this task of maintaining the woman. Moreover, Prophet Muhammad indicated that man gets a reward from Allah when he does this duty. Prophet Muhammad said:

The Prophet also said: (Whoever has three daughters or three sisters, so he is aware of Allah (in the way he treats them) and he takes care of them, he will be with me in Paradise like this)-and he pointed with two adjacent fingers.

Nowadays, it is sorry to see that many societies adopted the same concept that the pre-Islamic society of ignorance used to have; namely, that the woman is a burden unless she earns her living. It is sorry to see that the woman who fulfils her befitting duty of providing an atmosphere of sympathy and tranquility for her husband and her children, and raising faithful and educated progeny...it is sorry to see that the woman who achieves this great mission is being defined by some people as an "unproductive" woman. How much weight a society gives for the familial role of the woman reflects how important beliefs and moral codes are to this society. A Muslim society should give beliefs and moral codes the utmost importance. Subsequently, the woman who fulfils her familial role is given the greatest respect By The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him, because shes the one who keeps the morality of her family, and shes the one who raises faithful, Muslims.

قال: ((ويحك! الزم رجلها فثم الجنة))

The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Himsaid to a man called Jahima: (Stay near to her (your mothers) foot, and there is Paradise).

A man called Jahima came to Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him and said: (O Messenger of Allah, I wanted to fight (in the Cause of Allah), and I am here to consult you. The Prophet asked him: (Is your mother alive?). The man said: Yes. Prophet Muhammad said: (Stay with her, for Paradise is under her feet).

A man came to The Prophet Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him and said: (O Messenger of Allah, whos the one that has the greatest right upon me that I treat him in a good way? The Prophet replied: (Your mother), the man said: then who? The Prophet replied (then your mother), the man said: then who? The Prophet replied: (then your mother), the man said: then who? The Prophet replied: (then your father).

As wives, The Quran emphasizes the good treatment of wives:

(( وعاشروهن بالمعروف)) )19 النساء 4).

(And with them honorably)

Prophet Muhammad, in his farewell pilgrimage, he stood up in front of one hundred thousand people who were doing pilgrimage with him and gave advices, one of which was:

((واستوصوا بالنساء خيرا))

(Be good to women).

In conclusion, the woman in Islam passes through a peaceful, decent life journey: Living with a loving, merciful father, then with a loving husband who attends to her needs and who knows that being gentle to ones wife is a means of pleasing Allah, then living as a highly respected mother whose children look at it as an honor to stay near to their mothers feet and to serve her, and throughout this journey, she has her honor protected by the Islamic law, and she has her mission clear: to be a faithful worshipper of Allah and to follow the footsteps of the believing women before her like the wife of Pharaoh and like Mary peace be upon her.

مفهوم العبادة

The concept of worship

Worship in Islam encompasses the whole life of the Muslim. The Quran says:

((قل إن صلاتي ونسكي ومحياي ومماتي لله رب العالمين)) (162 الأنعام 6).

(Say (O Muhammad: "Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, The Lord of mankind, jinn and all that exists).

So, for the Muslim, once he has in his heart this intention of living according to the rules put by his Lord, everything becomes for the Sake of This Beloved Lord.

(Every day the sun comes up, the son of Adam must perform a charity for every joint he has. When he greets people whom he encounter, it is a charity. When he enjoins good and forbids evil, it is a charity. When he removes a harmful thing from the road, it is a charity, and when he has the sexual act with his wife, it is a charity, and praying two rakas in the forenoon makes up for all of that). The Companions of The Prophet asked him: Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us?

He said: (Tell me, if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would he not be sinning?)

Meaning: Likewise, if he has acted upon it lawfully he will have a reward.

(The one whos most beloved to Allah, The Exalted, is the one whos most helpful to the people, and the most beloved deed to Allah, The All-Mighty and Glorified, is a pleasure that one causes to the heart of a Muslim, or to relieve him from a stress, or to pay his debt instead of him, or to quench his hunger. Verily, for me, walking with my Muslim brother to help him in an affair that he needs is more beloved to me than dedicating a whole month of worship in this Mosque (meaning The Mosque of Madinah), and whoever contains his rage, Allah will conceal his imperfections, and whoever represses his wrath, although he can take revenge if he wills, Allah will fill his heart with hope on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever comes and goes with his brother to help him in something that he needs, Allah will make his foot steadfast on the day when feet slip, and verily, the bad manners spoil the good deeds as the vinegar spoils the honey).

علاقة الإنسان بربه وبغيره من الناس

Relationship between the Muslim and his Lord,

Relationship between the Muslim and others

Love to Allah Subhanahu wa taala is above all relationships. Subsequently, love to Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Himis above the love of all other human beings, because he is the one who showed us The Path to Allah.

(You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving and making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with guidance from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. They are the party of Allah. Verily, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful).

Therefore, the Muslim can have no love to anybody who shows enmity to Allah or to His Messenger, Muhammad, or to any Prophet. Prophet Muhammad is the seal of Prophets. So, loving him necessitates loving all other Prophets.

Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

((ثلاث من كن فيه وجد حلاوة الإيمان

Consequently, the brotherhood of Faith is above all other relationships, because Muslims share the love to The Same God and the love and respect to the same series of Prophets Peace be upon Them:

(The believers, men and women are protecting friends of one another; they enjoin the right and forbid wrong, and they establish prayer, pay the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger, As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise).

But is the Message of Islam for Muslims only? No. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(( وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين)) (107 الأنبياء 21).

(And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the whole world).

So, The Quran regulated the relationships between Muslims and others who coexist with them in this planet.

The core of the relationship of Muslims with non-muslims is calling and inviting the non-muslims to Islam:

(Invite (mankind) to the way of your Lord (Islam) with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided).

When the Muslim talks to others about Islam, it shouldnt be out of cultural appeasing, or as if hes just informing people about the habits and customs of his country. Rather, he should have the sincerity and sympathy exemplified by Prophet Muhammads statement:

And yes! there are people of different faiths who accepted the Message of Islam and became Companions of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him: Omar, the idol worshipper, Salman, the Persian (whose people worshipped fire), Abdullah Bin Salam, the Jew, Adi Bin Hatim, the Christian; all became under one umbrella. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They purchase not a trifling gain at the price of the Revelations of Allah. For them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift to take account).

Okay. What if they do not want to follow The Message of Islam? Still, The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet MuhammadPeace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him detailed how the relationship between Muslims and non-muslims should be in this case. AllahSubhanahu wa taalasaid:

( And We enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years-give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination. But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them; but behave with them in the world kindly).

The uncles and cousins of Prophet Muhammad were not Muslims at the beginning. So he said:

(Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and severe your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight. Do they not then think deeply in the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts? ).

The Quran stresses the importance of justice in dealing with non-muslims in spite of the fact that they do not believe in The Message of Islam. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

)Verily, Allah commands you that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between mankind, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which Allah gives you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer).

Even with the disbelievers of Makkah, who drove The Prophet and his companions out of their homeland and persecuted them, Allah ordered the Muslims to be just with those. Yes, war is war. But out of war, justice is required even with the enemies. Allah said:

(O you who believe, stand out firmly for Allah as just witnesses; and let not hatred of any people seduce you that you deal not justly. Deal justly: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do).

So, Allah Subhanahu wa taaladoesnt want His believing slaves to copy the people around them, even if some of those people go barbaric and brutal. Allah wants His believing slaves to maintain high standards in war and peace alike.

Not only justice, but also having pity and helping the non-muslims if they need help.

At the time of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him, those who accepted Islam were refraining from giving charity to the poor of the non-muslims, with the thinking that it is better to give charity to the poor of the muslims. However, Allah Subhanahu wa taalarevealed The following Verse to tell the Muslims that guidance is in The Hand of Allah, and that Muslims shouldnt refrain from paying charity to the non-muslims:

(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves. You are not spending except to seek Allahs Countenance. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged).

This is the general rule. The Muslim community is based on Faith. Therefore, brotherhood of Faith between Muslims is the highest relationship in Islam. However, Muslims still need to deal in justice with non-muslims, not because of any man-made rule, but because The God and The Prophet who the Muslims believe in have commanded so. It is not that Muslims should put their belief aside when dealing with others to have more tolerance, but it is this belief itself that requires the muslims to have justice and pity to others in spite of the fact that they did not follow the truth that Muslims follow.

The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad defined very clearly how Muslims should deal with non-muslims in case of peace and in case of war.

In case of peace, where non-muslims coexist with Muslims inside the muslim state and pay the due amount of money to the state if they can, Islam has provided protection for souls, religion, and wealth of the non-muslims.

(For had it not been that Allah repels some men by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein The Name of Allah is mentioned much, would surely have been pulled down. Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty).

You would see that Allah Subhanahu wa taalarevealed Verses to clear a non-muslim from an unjust accusation. A Muslim, called Tuma bin Ubairiq stole an armor from another Muslim and kept it with a Jew called Zaid bin As-Sameen. When the owner of the armor suspected Tuma, Tuma claimed that it is the Jew who stole it. So, the three parties presented to Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him: the owner of the armor, the Jew, Tuma and his relatives of Tuma, who came to testify falsely on the his innocence. So, all evidences were against the Jew; the armor was found in his house and the relatives of Tuma swore falsely to clear him. So, Allah Subhanahu wa taalarevealed several verses to clear the Jew from the accusation and to convict Tuma, starting with The Verse:

(Surely, We have sent down to You (O Muhammad) The Book (Quran) in truth that you may judge between men by that which Allah has shown to you (i.e. has taught you through Divine Revelations), so be not a pleader for the treacherous).

)And whosoever earns a fault or a sin and then throws it on to someone innocent, he has indeed burdened himself with falsehood and a manifest sin. Had not The Grace of Allah and His Mercy been upon you (O Muhammad), a party of them would certainly have made a decision to mislead you, but (in fact) they mislead none except their own selves, and no harm can they do to you in the least).

So, Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him convicted the Muslim and cleared the Jew.

It is not amazing to see that Allah Subhanahu wa taala reveals Verses to clear a Jew, because Allah is not The Lord of Muslims only. So, He will not be biased in judgment to a Muslim who oppresses non-muslim.

Oppression in all forms is forbidden in Islam. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: Allah Subhanahu wa taalasaid:

(O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another).

This is how The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him regulated the relationship between Muslims and non-muslims living in the Islamic state. What about non-muslims out of the Islamic state?

I need to remind you that in Islam, the two main duties of Muslims are:

1) Applying Islam in their own lives.

2) Inviting people of the universe to worshipping One God and following the message of All Prophets, ending with prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him.

The Quran describes Islam as a light, and it incharges Muslims with the duty of spreading this light to enlighten the lives of the whole humanity. The Quran says:

(Allah is The Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false leaders, they bring them out from light into darkness).

In inviting the non-muslims to Islam, the purpose is not to convert them compulsively to Islam, but to make the message clear for all of them and then let them make the choice, because Allah Subhanahu wa taalasaid:

(There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower).

However, there is all the time a group of people who have their worldly interests conflicting with Islam and will, therefore, keep indoctrinating their people against Islam. Therefore, a big sector of people would reject Islam not because they knew it and were not convinced by it, but because the pure message of Islam was screened away from them.

You see that the great masses of people would never go and read The Quran on their own, would never go and catch a book of The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad and read it. Yet, they deny Islam and think that they deny something that they know the truth of. Allah Subhanahu wa taala says:

( And (remember) the Day when We shall gather out of every nation a troop of those who denied Our Revelations, and (then) they (all) shall be driven (to the place of reckoning). Till, when they come (Before their Lord), He will say:

أكذبتم بآياتي ولم تحيطوا بها علما أم ماذا كنتم تعملون (84) ))

(Did you deny My Revelations whereas you comprehended them not by knowledge (of their truth or falsehood), or what (else) was it that you used to do?).

Allah gave them the invitation to go and read The Quran directly without the intermediation of anybody. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(( ولقد يسرنا القرآن للذكر فها من مدكر)) (17 القمر 54).

(And We have indeed made The Quran easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone who will receive admonition?)

The Quran talks about the fate of the idol worshippers of Mekkah, who obscured and tarnished The Message of Islam knowingly, and those who followed them slavishly:

(Ad those who disbelieve say: "We believe not in this Quran nor in that which was before it." But if could see when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!" And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak: "Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you? Nay, but you were sinners." Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him")......Plotting by night and day!

((وإذا علم من آيات الله شيئا اتخذها هزوا))

They used to take one Verse of The Quran and make fun of it, and make fun of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him, and their mislead people would repeat the words of their leaders slavishly.

Moreover, it happens that some people would know about the pure Message of Islam and would follow it willingly. But they would fall under the persecution of the other people of their country. It happened in the history of Islam that people were tortured to death to leave Islam.

The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him prescribed the solution for these problems. The solution is the Jihad.

What if they dont want to accept Islam? Muslims should not force them to accept it because Allah told that there should be no compulsion in religion. So, The Prophet gave another alternative:

((فإن هم أبوا فسلهم الجزية. فإن هم أجابوك فاقبل منهم وكف عنهم ))

The Jizya signals that the authority is now for Islam and that nobody can persecute those who choose to become Muslims. It also allows a peaceful mixing of Muslims with non-muslims, where the non-muslims can see the Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad applied in the life of Muslims. So, they will know Islam directly and its Message will not be obscured from them by any force.

But what if they refuse to give the Jizya? Then the last resort is:

((فإن هم أبوا فاستعن بالله وقاتلهم))

This is Jihad. Done by an Islamic state that does apply Islam, declared by the Muslim leader only after inviting people to Islam or giving the Jizya.

Of course, many non-muslims wont like this way of spreading Islam. They would think that: "what right do Muslims have to force others to either accept Islam or give Jizya?

This question should be answered in a fundamental way. Whether Muslims have the right to put others under the three options of Islam, Jizya, or Jihad depends totally on whether Islam is truly The Message of The Creator or not. If it is The Message of The Creator, then Muslims are nothing but the executors of The Will of The Creator. If Islam is true then it is a right of non-muslims upon Muslims that the Muslims go and enlighten their lived with this Divine Message. If Islam is true then it would be traitorous of Muslims to keep The Divine Guidance for themselves and to not go and spread it and pull down the barriers that obscure the Divine Guidance from people. If Islam is not true then how can one be convinced with the Jihad is justifiable if hes not convinced with the very Message that the Jihad was decreed to support? So, this is the way to discuss if Jihad is justifiable; discuss if the Message that the Jihad supports. Otherwise, it would be just a loss of time.

In addition, when any act is evaluated as right or wrong, three things are to be taken into consideration:

1) The purpose of this act

2) The way the act is done

3) The results of this act

So, lets see what the purpose of Jihad is in Islam, how it is done, and what results it gains.

( And fight them under persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they cease, then let there be no hostility except against wrongdoers).

So, Jihad is not to attain superiority for any race or any regime, but to prevent religious persecution and to make all forms of worship for Allah Alone.

Jihad is not there to confiscate the wealth of other nations. In fact, whenever Allah Subhanahu wa taalamentions fighting in His Cause, He mentions sacrificing ones soul and wealth in Jihad. So, the Muslim has to give up his soul and his wealth to spread The Divine Guidance.

The seal of Prophets, the head of the Islamic state, passes away without leaving any piney behind him although he was victorious in his wars, and although he had great wealth flowing into his hand. He wasnt seeking the worldly life. He was seeking the hereafter.

He did not declare Jihad to leave wealth for his family after his death. Prophet Muhammad said:

((نحن معاشر الأنبياء لا نورث. ما تركنا فهو صدقة)).

The purpose is to let the non-muslims listen to The Words of their Lord:

(And if anyone of the polytheists seeks your protection then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah (The Quran) and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not).

So, thats the purpose! If a polytheist seeks your protection then grant him protection, although it is a time of war. Why? so that he may hear The Quran, which he refused to hear on his own. Once he hears it, the purpose is achieved...so, escort him to his safe place. The purpose was achieved.

(And they give food, in spite of their love for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, (saying): "We feed you seeking Allahs Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you).

b) Fulfilling the covenant. Allah described the believers that they are:

((والموفون بعهدهم إذا عاهدوا))

(fulfill their covenant when they make it). So, if Muslims make a covenant, even with an enemy at a time of war, they have to fulfill it.

The Quran stresses this concept of fulfilling the covenants to the extent that The Quran calls the covenants that people make with each other, it calls it Allahs Covenant to indicate that when you make a covenant with a human being, you are also indeed making it with Allah, because Allah ordained fulfilling the covenants.

(Yes, whoever fulfils his pledge and wards off (evil); verily, then Allah loves the pious. Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allahs Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter. Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment).

So, you see that The Quran inspires decency and honesty by touching the love that the person has to الله; those who fulfill the covenant, Allah loves them, and those who do not, Allah will not speak to them, nor look at them. When the believer imagines how painful it is that Allah, The Most Beloved to him, will not speak to him or look at him, then this is the greatest motivation for the believer to fulfill the covenant to avoid this painful doom). So, you see that in Islam, the belief should inevitably translate into a high standard dealing of Muslims with themselves and with non-muslims.

Even if Muslims felt that their enemies are trying to betray them, The Quran doesnt allow Muslims to betray on their behalf. Allah Subhanahu wa taala said:

(If you fear treachery from any people, then throw back (their covenant) to them fairly. Certainly Allah likes not the treacherous).

So, if Muslims made a covenant with some party, and they felt that this party is about to betray them, then Muslims should warn the other party that the covenant is not valid any more before making any offence. They cant make the offence without this warning because Allah doesnt like the treacherous.

c) If a person from the people who are at war with Muslims is allowed to enter the Islamic state and is given the covenant of safety, then it is a major sin to kill such a person. Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said:

So, you see that in Islam the guarantees for fair treatment of non-muslims are not based on a man-made international law that can change from one day to another, but they are much higher guarantees. It is the god retribution in the Hereafter which Muslims dedicate their whole lives to achieve, versus the painful doom which they strive to avoid.

d) When a Muslim is allowed to enter a non-muslim country, it is forbidden for him to kill or cause harm to the people of this country, who allowed him to live with them, and who felt safe towards him. What if this non-muslim country has a great deal of injustice towards Muslims? What if this country puts whole Muslim nations under cruel sanctions that starve children to death? What if this non-Muslim country has an unsatisfactory policy? does this give an excuse for a Muslim to enter this country in a peaceful way and then cause damage to its people? To know the answer, read This Verse of The Quran:

( And let not the hatred of some people who (once) stopped your going to The Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help you one another in righteousness and pious duty; but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment).

Islam is not a religion of weakness. Islam is a religion of dignity and strength. It is a religion of peace when it is the time for peace, and a religion of war when it is the time for war. Allah Subhanahu wa taaladescribed the believers:

(Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is Able to give them victory. Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said: "Our Lord is Allah". For had it not been that Allah repels some men by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein The Name of Allah is mentioned much, would surely have been pulled down. Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. Those (Muslims) who, if We give them power in the land, they establish prayers, pay Zakat, and enjoin god and forbid evil. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters).

So these are the fruits of Jihad; persecution of Muslims and others is stopped, places of worship of Muslims and non-Muslims are protected, to enjoin good and forbid evil, and the rules of The Creator of this universe are established in the earth.

The results of Jihad...some countries were conquered to Islam through Jihad. The people of these countries, who refused to listen to The Message of Allah on their own now mingled with the Muslim society and saw the beauty of Islam... The Words of Allah Subhanahu wa taala settled in their hearts...and they accepted Islam on their own... and you then find although the Muslim history that these people and their progeny were the first to explore Islamic knowledge and were the first to defend Islam against any external offense. Of these was Abu Hanifah, the establisher of Islamic knowledge of Jurisprudence, Bukhari, the compiler of the most authentic book of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him, the Zankis, one of whom was Salahud-Deen Al-Ayobi, who defended Muslim countries against the crusades, and Al-Mamaleek, who defended Muslim countries against Tatars. It was a unique thing in the history... that the conquered people embrace the religion of the conquerors willingly, although this religion doesnt force people to embrace it, and then they become the first to preserve and to defend this religion by The Will of Allah. The Muslim world has been invaded by many forces, but never did Muslims accept the religions of the invaders...because the invadors came with the desire of superiority, but they did not come with a Divine Guidance.

The results of Jihad...Christians and Jews living in the Islamic world either embraced Islam or stayed as they were. Those who did not embrace Islam were having the freedom to practice their religion at a time of sectarian persecution in Europe where some people were burnt alive for the beliefs that they had. Therefore, you would find that the Christian minorities who chose to stay on their religion after the advent of Islam…you would find that they preferred to stay in the Islamic state although they had the choice of leaving it.... and you see their grand-grand sons living in the Muslim world until today. Yes! There were some Islamic rules which the non-Muslims probably didnt like, but at least there was stability. The rules of today are the rules of tomorrow.. as long as The Rules of Allah are applied... so there was a great deal of stability and safety, because The One who legislated these rules is not a human being who would have some bias, but it is Allah, The God of Muslims and non-Muslims alike...and nobody is oppressed by God. Whereas under any other regime, the rules were either man-made, or they were claimed to be Gods rules, but you would find that human beings were putting and changing these rules, and obliging people to follow them or else one would be labeled as disobedient to God. Under such conditions of man-made or "man-adjusted" ruling, you can never find stability.

Yes! there is Jihad in Islam, but the motivation was declared and clear: to spread The Word of The Creator, it was performed with high standards all through, and the results were peace, justice and protection of lives and freedom of people living in the Islamic state.

I would like to ask anyone who feels uneasy about the fact that Muslims used Jizya and Jihad in spreading The Word of The Creator in early Muslim history: what should have been the alternative? What is the better system that could have ruled the earth?

I hope you will be realistic with yourselves and wont say that every body should have lest the others alone and the others would have left them alone. This hypothesis fails completely when you study history. Almost never throughout the ancient and the recent history could you find a regime which was strong enough and yet would stay by its self without trying to spread its dominion over the other countries. At the time of Muslim decline, when they strayed away from The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad, they didnt care anymore about spreading The Divine Guidance and they stayed by themselves. Were they left alone? No! They were attacked by the crusades and by the Tatar and others. Was the aim of these attacks to spread Divine Guidance and protect places of worship? Well! in the crusades tens of thousands of Muslims were killed at The Aqsa Mosque, The Most sacred Mosque in Jerusalem, and The Mosque itself was converted to a place to keep pigs.

What is the alternative? Is it secularism? Well! The twentieth century was a century of secularism. Yet, the agilest massacres throughout the history of humanity happened in this century. Is it democracy? Again, you will find that democratic countries have provided some privilege for the inhabitants of these countries, but again, these countries have the most furious conflict with the other countries of the world.. not for a Divine Message.. but for conflict of worldly interests.

So, again...what could have the alternative been? Is there any system, other than Islam, that:

-doesnt declare neglecting The Rules of The Creator to satisfy desires of people, or in other words: declares disobedience to The Creator to appease people.

-orders its followers to sacrifice their lives and wealth to spread The Divine Guidance, and warns them that their motivation should not be worldly superiority.

-provides stability, tranquility and justice to Muslims and non-Muslims.

-has good evidence from history on its success when it is applied.

So far we talked about two kinds of Jihad:

1) Jihad for repelling injustice and oppression befalling Muslims.

2) Jihad for removing the barriers that prevent non-muslim nations from understanding Islam and/or stops them from accepting it, and makes The Word of The Creator the superior one.

But the big question now is: can the second type of Jihad be performed by the Muslims of nowadays with their current situation? And the very sad answer is: No.

Muslims now do not have an Islamic state that rules by The Rules of Allah so that it can spread The Rules of Allah to other countries.

Muslims of nowadays have deviated from The Guidance of The Quran and The Teachings of Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him.

Many Muslims of nowadays are at war with each other

Most Muslims of nowadays have failed to provide an attractive example for the world. They failed to represent Islam as a practically applied Divine Guidance.

The whole world has lost much by the decline in the status of Muslims...Abu Hasan An-Nadawi wrote a whole book under the title: "What did the world lose by the decline in the status if Muslims".

The whole world is waiting for a saver to save it from bloody wars, crime, anxiety and the feeling of loss. The saver is Islam, but not Muslims of nowadays. Muslims failed to provide a good example that once attracted whole nations to accept Islam, like Indonesia, which is now the most-populated Muslim country...where people were attracted to Islam by the manners and high standards of the Muslims individuals who mingled with people there.

But the hope is there. The life is spreading in the Muslim body again. More and more Muslims are going back to The Divine Guidance…and if the non-Muslim world has a knowledge the reality of Islam and the periods of history when the Divine Guidance was applied, they should be happy to see that happening.

Finally, I would like to mention the statement of Ribee Bin Amer

دعوة المستمعين إلى الله تبارك وتعالى

A call for Allah

Finally, I would like to invite you to read the translation of The Quran. I invite you with the spirit of a bee which finds a beautiful field of roses, and it knows that its fellows didnt know about this field yet. So, it goes back and calls its fellows to join it taking from the nectar of these rose field. I invite you to read The Quran on your own, without the intermediation of anybody. No one should intermediate in the relationship between a slave and His Creator.

I invite you and give you glad news; a group of people who committed murder in great number and committed illegal sexual intercourse excessively came to Prophet Muhammad and said: "O Muhammad, whatever you say, and invite people to, is good, but we wish if you could inform us whether we can make an expiation for our (past evil) deeds." So, Allah Subhanahu wa taalarevealed Verses in which He mentioned the end of those who disobey Him, but then, Allah made an exception:

(Except those who repent and believe (in The Oneness of Allah and in all of His Messengers), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful).

We call you to The Great, Loving God, who never makes the repentants despair from His Spacious Mercy.

(O you who believe (in Moses and Jesus), be mindful of your duty to Allah, and believe in His Messenger (Muhammad), He (Allah) will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). And He will forgive you. And Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful. So that the people of the Scripture may (Jews and Christians) may know that they control nothing of The Bounty of Allah, and that (His) Bounty is (entirely) in His Hand to bestow it on whomsoever He wills. And Allah is The Owner of Great Bounty).

Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him said: (Three persons will have a double reward)...of them he mentioned:

(A person from the people of the Scripture who believed in his Prophet (Jesus or Moses) and then believes in me).

Islam does not take away the love of any Prophet from anyones heart, it adds the love to the seal of The Prophets, who was sent as a mercy for mankind, Muhammad Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon Him.